Historical Fantasy Goes Heavy Metal In The Red Sonja Trailer

Robert E. Howard’s second most famous sword-slinging hero is coming back to the big screen.

Remember Red Sonja, the 1985 fantasy actioner starring then-Mrs. Sylvester Stallone Brigitte Nielsen? If so, my condolences, but don’t let one cinematic stinker put you off the character. After an insanely long development period (it almost happened back in 2008 with Robert Rodriguez directing Rose McGowan), the flame-haired fighter is once again slicing up bad guys on the screen. Check it out:

Red Sonja Trailer

What’s the plot?

Directed by M. J. Bassett, who also helmed the 2009 REH adaptation, Solomon Kane, the film is sort of based on the character Red Sonya of Rogatino from the 1934 short story, “The Shadow of the Vulture“.

I say “sort of” because that character was reinterpreted by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for the Marvel Conan the Barbarian comics back in 1973. In the process, Howard’s 16th century mercenary was transformed into a barbarian heroine in a chainmail bikini, magically endowed with amazing fighting prowess by a goddess so that she can avenge her rape and the murder of her family. The catch is that she can never “lie with a man” unless he beats her in a fight. Look, it was a different time. If nothing else, it caused no end of frustration to the perpetually horny Conan whenever they teamed up.

But Conan and Red Sonja parted ways ages ago, when the rights to the characters went their separate ways. To be honest, I’m not even sure if she’s still in Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Age setting – it’s been a while since I checked in. Apparently there was a reincarnation at some point? But we do have a handy official synopsis to parse for clues:

Enslaved by an evil tyrant who wishes to destroy her people, barbarian huntress Red Sonja must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face off against Draygan The Magnificent and his deadly bride, Dark Annisia.

Pretty standard stuff.

Who’s in it?

• Matilda Lutz, who was pretty great in Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge, as Red Sonja.
• Wallis Day (Batwoman) as Annisia.
• Robert Sheehan (The Umbrella Academy) as Draygan the Magnificent.
• Michael Bisping as Hawk.
• Martyn Ford as General Karlak.
• Eliza Matengu as Amarak.
• Veronica Ferres as Ashera and Red Sonja’s mother.
• Katrina Durden as Saevus.
• Manal El-Feitury as Ayala.

Plus, Rhona Mitra, Kate Nichols, and Danica Davis are in there too, in roles yet to be disclosed.

When’s it out?

We’re looking at an August 15 US release date, before Red Sonja goes to streaming on August 29. I suspect this might go direct to digital locally. Just a hunch.

What’s the vibe?

Definite maybe on this one. I’m a lifelong Robert E. Howard fan, so I’ll show up for sure, and Solomon Kane was a good time. Let’s just hope Red Sonja is more in that vein than notorious Kevin Sorbo clunker Kull the Conqueror.